Trees, shrubs, or suffrutescent subshrubs, unarmed, terrestrial, with raphides in the tissues, sometimes deciduous, internodes often costate . Leaves opposite or infrequently in verticils of 3--4, petiolate, entire, with higher-order venation not lineolate, often with pubescent or crypt-type domatia; stipules interpetiolar or fused around the stem, triangular to subtruncate, entire to bilobed with tips often glandular, generally erect and valvate or imbricated in bud, abaxiallly 1- or 2-costate, adaxially sometimes sericeous, with age becoming hardened and yellowed, deciduous by fragmentation. Inflorescences terminal or occasionally pseudoaxillary, subcapitate to fasciculate or cymose, few- to multiflowered, sessile or pedunculate, bracts reduced or developed. Flowers sessile to pedicellate, bisexual, at least usually distylous, protandrous, generally small, whether fragrant unknown, diurnal or perhaps sometimes nocturnal; hypanthium ellipsoid to subglobose or turbinate; calyx limb developed, 4-5-lobed, without calycophylls; corolla salverform to funnelform, white to cream, yellow, or pale green, internally glabrous to pubescent and usually barbate in throat, tube straight, lobes 4--5, triangular, valvate in bud, without or occasionally with appendages; stamens 4--5, inserted near or above middle of corolla tube, anthers ellipsoid to oblong, dorsifixed near middle, opening by linear slits, without appendages, included; ovary 2-locular, with ovules 1 in each locule, basal; stigmas 2, included. Fruit drupaceous, subglobose to ellipsoid, juicy, at maturity orange to red, with calyx limb persistent; pyrenes 2, 1-locular, hemispherical (i.e., planoconvex), chartaceous to usually bony, dehiscent by two pre-formed marginal slits extending to the middle and also sometimes several shorter dorsal slits, generally plane adaxially; seeds 1 per pyrene, hemispherical to ellipsoid, seed coat without alcohol-soluble red pigment, endosperm entire or perhaps ruminated.